


On Names

by remembertheginger



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 21:43:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20365567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remembertheginger/pseuds/remembertheginger
Summary: A short collection of memories as Asra has noticed that Vesuvia likes to change people's names.





	On Names

**Author's Note:**

> this is all my own personal headcanon as to why some of the people in the arcana have changed their names; it also includes lucio recruiting asra for the court.

Something Vesuvia liked to do was change people’s names.

Asra had properly noticed this first when he met Ilya. The doctor had introduced himself as Julian, but Asra later heard Julian muttering to himself deep in study one day, calling himself by a different name. When Asra asked the doctor about this, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well... that one’s on me, I’m afraid. I told them my name when I first arrived, but they stared at me and told me it would be easier for everyone if I picked a different name, one easier to remember. I was an unlicensed doctor in a brand new city, here to stop the plague, which meant I would be seeing a lot of people; so I just kind of rolled with it, and said Julian.” He scowled. “Lucio there pressuring me didn’t exactly help either.” After a moment of softening, he looked up again with a gentle smile. “You can call me Ilya, if you want.”

“Ilya,” Asra tried the name out. It rolled across his tongue nicely, and it fit the man in front of him. “It’s nice to re-meet you, Ilya.”

And then there was Pasha. Nadia, the other servants, everyone but Mazelinka called her Portia, and it made him uncomfortable. It made her uncomfortable too, he realized, when he asked about it while they were having coffee at her cottage. “I... they told me I would have to change my name if I wanted to work for Milady.” She glanced around as she spoke, as if looking for people who might rat her out, as if what she was saying was traitorous in the first place. “Pasha was too foreign. I know they made Ilya change his name too. But... Asra?” She leaned in closer, setting her coffee on the table. “If it’s just us, will you call me Pasha?”

He smiled at her. “Of course, Pasha.”

She looked relieved and overjoyed, small tears welling up in her eyes that she quickly wiped away. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard someone besides Mazelinka use my name. Thank you, Asra.”

It was this that stirred a long-ago memory, which related twofold: Lucio had changed his own name, and he had tried to convince Asra change his name too. It was in the wharfs when he had first sought out Asra; Asra had been sick, and Muriel had been out gathering herbs so they could put together some sort of medicine. “Hey, kid,” he stuck his face under the dock, searching. “I know you’re there.”

Asra didn’t answer, knowing that even weak, his glamour would hold up. He was pretty sure that Lucio had no magical capabilities whatsoever.

Lucio, instead of going away, kept talking. “Can you just come out so we can talk? It’s weird talking to shadows.” A beat, no response from Asra, and he continued. “Fine. I was going to offer you some help, but I guess no dice.” Of course it was no dice. Neither of them would ever accept anything from the Count, of that much he was sure. “But in case you need some time to think about it, let me lay out for you my proposition.”

His head disappeared for a moment, presumably to regain some bloodflow; but to Asra’s surprise, he swung himself down to the sand, looking around before sighing loudly and taking a seat on the sand. “I know you’re Asra.” 

Asra coughed, partially in surprise, partially just sickness. The single cough turned into a fit of coughing, and he almost doubled over just trying to catch his breath. Lucio must have learned his name from the other kids at the docks. When he looked back up, head swimming, Lucio was smiling-- a predatory smile, the kind that said he had just learned exactly what he wanted to know. “And you’re sick. So here’s my proposition-- come work for me at the palace, as a magician. Change your name to something sweet and easy to remember. And I’ll get your illness treated, you’ll never be hungry again, and-- the best part-- I’ll make sure your friend Muriel is safe. All you have to do is be my court magician.” He stood, brushing his pants off. “I’ll give you time to think about it.”

“Wait,” Asra called, staring out at the ocean. This  _ was _ a choice he wanted time to think on; but even as he sat there, he knew his answer would be the same. If it protected Muriel... there was hardly a choice, was there? “I’ll do it.” He stood too, walking out of the glamour, past Lucio, just into the waves. They lapped gently at his bare feet, warm against the cool of the night air.

Lucio grinned, and Asra swallowed, hard. Immediately, he had second thoughts; but he planted his feet in the ground and crossed his arms. “I’m not changing my name, though.”

The man before him looked confused for just a moment, before that quickly twisted into anger. “What do you mean, you’re not changing your name? That was part of the deal,  _ kid. _ ”

He stood his ground. “My name is Asra. You’re not taking that from me.”

Putting a golden-clawed hand to his face, Lucio sighed. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I changed  _ my _ name so I could be the count. You can change your name to be a court magician, capiche?”

Asra just barely kept himself from gaping. Lucio, proud, angry, arrogant Lucio, had changed his name for something like this? Still, that didn’t change his own mind. “I’m glad for you. My name is Asra, and it’s staying Asra.”

“... Fine,” Lucio waved it off after a moment, and he didn’t know whether that was a good or bad sign. “Welcome to the court, Asra.”


End file.
